Mackenzie attacked at dawn, with nearly a thousand men — a force carefully assembled to overwhelm resistance rather than merely engage it.

The attack achieved complete surprise.

Warriors fought back to allow women and children time to flee into the canyon walls, but they were massively outnumbered and outgunned.

The village was taken within hours.

What happened next was what made the attack devastating beyond the immediate casualties.

Mackenzie’s soldiers burned everything.

Every tipi.

Every food store — the dried meat and pemmican and dried berries that the community had spent the summer and fall preparing to sustain themselves through winter.

Every blanket and robe.

Every ceremonial item.